Capuano roughed up as Rockies beat Dodgers, 9-5

Colorado Rockies manager Walt Weiss, left, congratulates right fielder Michael Cuddyer after he lead the Rockies to 9-5 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in a baseball game in Denver on Thursday, July 4, 2013.

David Zalubowski, Associated Press

Summary

Aiming for a sweep, the Los Angeles Dodgers settled for a series win. The way they've been rolling, it's just a bump in the road.

DENVER — Aiming for a sweep, the Los Angeles Dodgers settled for a series win.

The way they've been rolling, it's just a bump in the road.

Michael Cuddyer hit a solo homer and drove in three runs to help the Colorado Rockies beat the Dodgers 9-5 on Thursday night to avoid a three-game sweep.

Matt Kemp had a two-run homer, Adrian Gonzalez contributed four hits, including a solo homer in the ninth, and Hanley Ramirez extended his hitting streak to 15 games with a single in the last inning.

The loss denied the Dodgers their second series sweep in a week. They have won 10 of 12.

"Little disappointed. I think after you get the first two you'd like to get the last one," manager Don Mattingly said. "Once you get through it, you look back and you say if you can do this the rest of the way you feel pretty good about things."

Yasiel Puig was in the lineup a day after leaving the contest early with a bruised hip after crashing into the wall. He finished 1 for 5 with an RBI as the Dodgers had their four-game winning streak halted.

"He was fine. They keep trying stuff," Mattingly said. "Different guys try different things, and as the stuff matches right it gives him trouble. He has to learn and make adjustments."

For Chris Capuano (2-6), this was an uncharacteristic rough outing on the road, giving up six runs, five earned, and seven hits in 4 1-3 innings. Capuano had a 1.35 ERA away from Dodger Stadium before Thursday.

Capuano has struggled his last two outings after previously putting together two solid ones. He lasted just 3 2-3 innings against Philadelphia on June 28 and struggled again Thursday.

"I thought I was throwing the ball a little better the last couple of innings," Capuano said. "This is a good hitting team and tonight I was having trouble cutting my fastball back over the plate. I made a good adjustment in the first inning."

Colorado got to Capuano in the third, scoring four times to grab a 5-2 lead. Cuddyer had the big hit in the inning, a two-run double over the head of Kemp in deep center. But it wasn't without some theatrics.

With Josh Rutledge holding in between second and third to see if Kemp caught the ball, Carlos Gonzalez nearly passed his teammate before applying the brakes. Gonzalez then followed closely on the heels of Rutledge all the way to the plate, sliding in at home just under the tag.

"The third inning they got the big hit. It's frustrating," Capuano said. "I felt I was a pitch or two away from containing it."

Capuano allowed a leadoff double to Rutledge in the fifth before fanning Gonzalez. Brandon League came on, walked Cuddyer and gave up two straight RBI singles as the Rockies increased the lead to 8-2.

"That hurts you because it kind of deflates you," Mattingly said. "If you can keep it right there you then if you get one and get back in it. We got to the point we needed three or four and it makes it tougher."

The Dodgers struggled to drive in runners against Jhoulys Chacin (8-3), a night after setting season highs in runs (10) and hits (17). The hard-throwing righty pitched out of trouble time and again, giving up four runs in 5 2-3 innings.

Mixing a four-seam fastball with a swooping slider, Chacin got off to a rough start, before finding his rhythm to win his fifth straight start. He was taken out after allowing an RBI single to Puig in the sixth.

Cuddyer remains scorching at the plate even after his streak came to an end on Tuesday. He's now had at least one hit in 29 of his last 30 games.

Kemp put the Dodgers up 2-1 in the second, when he hit an 80-mph slider over the fence in center. It was his second straight night with a homer.

"He was good again tonight," Mattingly said. "Hopefully Matt's starting to heat up and be himself."

For Chacin, the homer to Kemp ended a career-best streak of 16 scoreless innings. Los Angeles had a chance for more damage, but Chacin struck out Mark Ellis and Puig to end the threat.

Chacin also wiggled out of a bases-loaded jam in the third, striking out Nick Punto to end the inning. Punto threw down his helmet and bat in frustration.

The night before, Los Angeles received a momentary scare when Puig jumped up to make a catch in right and smacked his left hip on a padded column below the scoreboard. Puig stayed down on the warning track for several minutes, before jogging around the outfield. He remained in the game, but was taken out as a precaution the next inning.

"When you play like that, you'll end up getting banged up," Mattingly said. "You anticipate some of that stuff."

Puig is hitting .430 with eight homers since his debut on June 3. The 22-year-old has energized his teammates with his youthful exuberance.

"Every day he impresses me," Ellis said. "He's been so big for us."

NOTES: Dodgers RHP Carlos Marmol may soon report to Triple-A Albuquerque. Marmol was acquired in a trade with the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday. ... Los Angeles will play in San Francisco on Friday night, with Hyun-Jin Ryu (6-3) starting for the Dodgers. ... Adrian Gonzalez homered in all three games of the series. he has 13 for the season.